In Chicago, the meet will begin @ 7:00 pm at Trump International Hotel & Tower,

401 N Wabash Avenue.

Organizers write, “Bring drums, pots and pans, noise-makers, flashlights, glow-sticks, posters that say ‘NO!’ and everyone you know. There will be a marching band bringing in the NYE with NO!FASCISM 2017! Join thousands in cities and towns across this country, ringing in the New Year in determination to STOP the fascist Trump/Pence regime BEFORE it comes to power.

“No… immigrant-bashing… No Muslim registry… No Wall… No White Supremacy… No Neo-Nazis… No gay-bashing… No climate-change-denying… NO TRUMP… NO PENCE… NO FASCIST USA!”

“Wherever you are New Year’s Eve, take a pic with the word ‘NO!’ and post it here. If your city doesn’t have a protest yet, start your own!”

These protests are part of a newly launched movement to rally millions to stop Trump/Pence before the January 20 inauguration through massive political protest and resistance.

CHICAGO, IL – The First Amendment is alive and well in Chicago, as thousands of women and their allies will brave the cold to rally downtown on January 21 in solidarity with others around the world who defend and further women’s rights. The Women’s March on Chicago honors women’s marches planned for Washington D.C. and dozens of other U.S. cities on January 21, the day after the presidential inauguration, to make their diverse voices heard by a new administration.

Chicago marchers will stand together for women’s civil liberties and rights and to signal that their diverse communities are the strength of our country.

“We are the women of Chicago. We are varied races, ethnicities, ages, religions, sexual identities, economic situations, politics, and countless other diversities, and we will share space on January 21 to protect our rights and our humanity,” said Liz Radford, one of the organizers. “We are marching to voice protests and concerns because our rights, safety, and values are at stake. The mission of this march is to connect, protect, and activate in our communities.”

Organizers have received conditional approval from the Chicago Park District to convene at 10 a.m. at Petrillo Bandshell in Grant Park. More information on the march route and concluding rally location will follow.

“We are actively spreading the word throughout Chicago and the suburbs to recruit marchers and supporters,” said Lisa DeSantiago, one of the organizers. “We are here for equality and justice – everybody in this group wants it and will fight for it.”

The grassroots effort started in mid-November 2016 when several women met online and felt compelled to combat the divisive rhetoric of the presidential campaign. In five weeks, more than 22,000 interested marchers have connected online. Nearly 10,000 people registered with the official Facebook page of the event within 48 hours of the launch earlier this week.

NAACP President Cornell William Brooks to Join Protests at Sessions’ Mobile, AL Office, January 3

Protests at Five Offices in Alabama Scheduled

MOBILE, AL—NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks will join with local Alabama chapters of the NAACP for a statewide protest against the nomination of Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III for U.S. Attorney General.

Alabamians Against Sessions for Attorney General will include five protests at the five Alabama offices of Sessions, located in Mobile, Huntsville, Dothan, Birmingham and Montgomery.

“As a matter of conscience and conviction, we can neither be mute nor mumble our opposition to Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions becoming Attorney General of the United States. Senator Sessions has callously ignored the reality of voter suppression but zealously prosecuted innocent civil rights leaders on trumped-up charges of voter fraud. As an opponent of the vote, he can’t be trusted to be the chief law enforcement officer for voting rights,” said NAACP President/CEO Cornell William Brooks.

President Brooks will be joined at a January 3 press conference and protest at Sessions’ office in Mobile by Alabama State Conference President Benard Simelton and Mobile Branch President Lizetta McConnell.

“Despite 30 years of our nation moving forward on inclusion and against hate, Jeff Sessions has failed to change his ways,” said Alabama State Conference President Benard Simelton. “He’s been a threat to desegregation and the Voting Rights Act and remains a threat to all of our civil rights, including the right to live without the fear of police brutality.”

The press conference featuring NAACP President Cornell William Brooks, Alabama State Conference President Benard Simelton and Mobile (AL) Branch President Lizetta McConnell will take place in Mobile, AL on January 3, 2017 at 11 a.m. at the Office of Senator Jefferson Sessions, 41 West Interstate 65 Service North, Mobile, Al 36608

“Some of us in Alabama recall, Senator Sessions saying he liked the Klan,” said Mobile Branch President Lizetta McConnell. “He said it was a joke, but saying something like that while discussing a case where the Klan murdered a young black man says a lot about a person. We need someone who realizes that attorney general has got to actually care about the people’s rights he’s protecting and not just doing it because it’s his job.”

Local members of the NAACP will hold multiple Press Conferences around the state on January 3, 2017 at four of Sessions’ other district offices:

PETAL et al., in collaboration with CopyLine Magazine, was a guest presenter for Junior Achievement at Percy L. Julian High School in Chicago.

PETAL et al. CEO Pamela McMillan & Vice President of Technology and Communications Clarence McMillan, along with Copyline Magazine Editor and Publisher Juanita Bratcher, met with groups of students throughout the day discussing career goals and paths taken to get where they got in their careers.

Ms. McMillan also shared strategies for students to start teaching themselves about things they want to know before starting college, urging them to take advantage of online learning and networking opportunities.

Ms. Bratcher discussed her career, shared some of her publications and tips on becoming a writer and published author.

Pictured above: Pamela McMillan, PETAL et al. CEO speaks to a group of students at Percy L. Julian High School.

Music plays a significant role in nearly everyone’s life, but for some people it represents much more than an invitation to dance or a soundtrack for the morning commute.

Researchers have found that music therapy provides a diversion from negative feelings and helps manage the pain of not only adults, but of children with developmental, physical, behavioral, and neurological disabilities.

It also increases range of motion and motor skills, and in some cases is a replacement for medication. In short, its therapeutic uses are many.

“Music is invaluable to people with special needs, allowing them to express themselves non-verbally,” says Travis Perry, a music teacher for more than 35 years and inventor of ChordBuddy (www.chordbuddy.com), a device that makes guitar-learning easier for anyone – including those with disabilities.

“Veterans can use music to help cope with PTSD as well as other physical injuries. Senior citizens can learn to play the guitar, which helps build hand strength.”

One recent study showed that music therapy can even help children cope with routine immunizations, making them less stressed – and their parents less stressed as well.

While music therapy is known to be fruitful for the person needing therapy, the results also can be a gratifying for the teacher. Perry says he’s found it especially satisfying to teach the guitar to autistic children, who can be challenging but ultimately rewarding pupils.

In fact, a small number of people with autism are musical savants, according to the American Music Therapy Association, but all benefit from music therapy interventions to enhance their social, communicative and motor skills, among other needs.

Generally, children with autism aren’t able to make what would be considered a pleasing sound on the guitar without some assistance. Perry uses his invention to help them. Instead of positioning their hand into the correct chord positions – often tricky for even able-bodied learners – they can just press a tab that results in a clear, strong chord sound.

Perry, who has appeared on the popular TV show Shark Tank, didn’t actually have music therapy or people with special needs in mind when he invented ChordBuddy. He was trying to help his daughter learn to play and her frustration became his inspiration.

“When learning an instrument, it’s important to have success right away, and that can be difficult to do with the guitar,” Perry says. “Most people give up within the first couple of months and the guitar ends up in a closet. That’s why I’m so excited when I know I’ve been able to help a special-needs child, a veteran with PTSD or a senior citizen with arthritis make music.

“You realize the odds they’ve had to overcome, both with the usual hurdles to learning and their personal difficulties, and that’s very fulfilling to me.”

About Travis Perry

Travis Perry has been a music teacher for more than 35 years and is the inventor of ChordBuddy (www.chordbuddy.com). His invention was showcased on ABC’s Shark Tank. He regularly makes appearances and speaking engagements at schools, and donated his invention to various charities including The Wounded Warriors Project.

Nationwide(BlackNews.com) – Sadly, many African Americans don’t think about taxes until the days and weeks leading up to April 15. However, there are many things you can do now to help our results then be more appealing.

Make Wise Business Purchases
If you are business owner, think about purchases that you can make between now and year end. If possible, try making purchases that you were planning to make in January in December. Consider pre-paying your cell phone or internet bill. But careful, though, about large purchases such as heavy equipment, as these may need to be depreciated rather than capitalized, greatly minimizing the tax impact you might be expecting from such a large purchase.

Maximize Your Heath Savings Accounts (HSA)
With the political climate and uncertainly on the continuation of Obamacare, Health Savings Accounts (HSA), along with High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP), may see increased popularity. If you already have a HSA and have not yet maximized your contribution for the year, now would be a great time to do so. Contributions and interest earned are tax free and the maximum contribution amount for 2016 is $3,350 for individuals and $6,750 for families. If you are over 55 years of age, you get an additional $1,000 in catch up contributions which will be tax free as well.

Manage Tax Withholdings/Exemptions
Employees that changed jobs or started a new job this year should review their tax withholdings/exemptions claimed on their new hire paperwork (Form W-4). Claiming too many exemptions could result in an unexpected or large tax liability at tax time. Claiming too few exemptions could result in giving the government more money than necessary, which could result in a cash flow problem for you during the year. Ask you HR or payroll department to review your withholdings and ask your accountant or tax adviser to review them for you so that if adjustments are needed, you can catch them at the beginning of the new year to avoid potential problems during next year’s tax season.

In addition to tax adjustments, some basic financial planning can go a long way in setting the stage for you (and your money) as you enter the new year.
Randy Hughes is the founder of Counting Pennies, a nationwide tax and accounting firm that specializes in tax preparation, bookkeeping and debt management. Contact him at (800) 234-1449 or randy.hughes@cpennies.com or visit www.cpennies.com.

Nationwide(BlackNews.com) – Dr. Karen Sloan-Brown says, “Stop the Lies! The 2016 Presidential election was built on a foundation of lies. Hillary Clinton was the victim of so many. Donald Trump became the victor through the use of so many.” And her newly released book entitled Psst: Please Somebody Speak The Truth aims to start the process of separating the facts from fiction. She emphasizes that its time out for politicians telling the people what they are going to do for the country. They are simply representatives. Its high time they do what the people want done. In her opinion, the country is now caught up in a Ball of Confusion.

“Psst: Please Somebody Speak The Truth discusses the truths and mistruths of eighteen controversial subjects that U.S. citizens should carefully explore: democracy, capitalism, voting rights, income inequality, greed, entitlement programs, outsourcing, wages and inflation, gun control, the criminal justice system, global warming, affirmative action, education costs, paying college athletes, Iraq and ISIS, War, and the Barack Obama Presidency. She addresses the critical need for this country to define and clarify its understanding and beliefs on a number of fundamental issues to make educated choices, This nation cant continue to cast its votes based on name recognition.

William Faulkner, a great American writer once said: Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world… would do this, it would change the earth.

Sloan-Brown cautions that the U.S. is in a precarious position because its leadership is no longer trustworthy. Most have gained their elevated positions of leadership through the power of persuasion, deftly convincing the people they have all the answers. She says the new president-elect, Donald Trump, is a master of this game. He and a host of politicians compellingly communicate all the things some folk yearn to hear, some of it honest, most of it downright deceitful. Her book seeks to navigate through the power-seeking voices that have become increasingly brazen, distorting the facts, misrepresenting truths, and threatening to undermine hundreds of years of progressive gains for their personal and privileged interests.About the Author
Dr. Karen Sloan-Brown, is the author of several books, the non-fiction A Reflection: What a Difference a Day Makes, What About 100 Years?, Educating the Nation on a Shrinking Budget, and six novels, including The Fortunes of Blues and Blessing, Searching for Everland, and A New Season: The Fortunes of Blues and Blessings – Book Two. She is currently the Research Lab Coordinator of the Molecular Biology Core Facility at Meharry Medical College. She lives with her husband and daughters in Nashville, Tennessee. For more details, visit her web site at www.karensloanbrown.com

The Dallas FBI Violent Crimes Task Force is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a wanted subject who is believed to be responsible for a bank robbery on December 3, 2016, in Dallas, and a bank robbery on December 9, 2016, in Farmers Branch. North Texas Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of this individual.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The NAACP issued the following statement after President Barack Obama’s nomination of Catherine Lhamon and Debo Abegbile to serve six-year terms on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on Dec. 15:

“The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) applauds the nomination of Catherine Lhamon and Debo Abegbile to serve on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.“We are proud to have worked with both people extensively in the past, and they are each longstanding champions in advancing civil rights in schools, policing and the criminal justice system. Ms. Lhamon has worked through the U.S. Department of Education on many key civil rights issues, working to ensure that universities respond appropriately to sexual assaults on campuses, and to address issues surrounding school discipline and its effect on student education, as well as protecting the rights of transgender, disabled and other student populations across the country.

“Through his work as an attorney and advocate, Mr. Abegbile has argued before the Supreme Court to protect and defend voting rights and fight against employment and housing discrimination through his career.

“As we begin an era when people rising to positions of power have shown shocking lack of awareness and consideration of basic civil rights, we hope these two individuals will serve to ensure that U.S. policy and practices are done in a way that does not infringe on the basic civil rights all individuals are entitled to in this nation.”

CHICAGO, IL – This month, 13 of Illinois’ metropolitan (metro) areas experienced declines in their over-the-year unemployment rates and one was unchanged. Eight of the metro areas had increases in nonfarm jobs and six reported declines, according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).

“Job growth in Illinois’ metro areas still lag the rest of the nation,” said IDES Director Jeff Mays. “The metro areas outside of Chicago have experienced more job growth recently than the Chicago metro area, which is a bit of a change from earlier in the year.”

Not seasonally adjusted data compares November 2016 with November 2015. The not seasonally adjusted Illinois rate was 5.3 percent in November 2016 and stood at 12.2 percent at its peak in this economic cycle in January 2010. Nationally, the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in November 2016 and 10.6 percent in January 2010 at its peak. The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and looking for work, and is not tied to collecting unemployment insurance benefits.

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Welcome to CopyLine Magazine! The first issue of CopyLine Magazine was published in November, 1990, by Editor & Publisher Juanita Bratcher. CopyLine’s main focus is on the political arena – to inform our readers and analyze many of the pressing issues of the day - controversial or otherwise. Our objectives are clear – to keep you abreast of political happenings and maneuvering in the political arena, by reporting and providing provocative commentaries on various issues. For more about CopyLine Magazine, CopyLine Blog, and CopyLine Television/Video, please visit juanitabratcher.com, copylinemagazine.com, and oneononetelevision.com. Bratcher has been a News/Reporter, Author, Publisher, and Journalist for 33 years. She is the author of six books, including “Harold: The Making of a Big City Mayor” (Harold Washington), Chicago’s first African-American mayor; and “Beyond the Boardroom: Empowering a New Generation of Leaders,” about John Herman Stroger, Jr., the first African-American elected President of the Cook County Board. Bratcher is also a Poet/Songwriter, with 17 records – produced by HillTop Records of Hollywood, California. Juanita Bratcher Publisher